The Family that Plays Together....

Posted by Paula Paine on March 13, 2013 in Athletics, Community, "Corey Schultz", "Current Students", family, football, "Kent Kessinger", "Logan Schultz", "The College", "Zach Schultz"
During the first football game Logan Schultz ever played as a Brave, he made an impressive tackle on kickoff. His brother, Zach, and cousin, Corey, both senior members of the team, stormed onto the field after the play to celebrate with him. “I think they were more excited about it than I was,” Schultz says. “Playing with my brother and cousin was one of the most fun seasons by far because they were on the field with me. Practices were always more heated when I would line up across from either of those two.” Now a senior himself, Schultz says he’s proud of his career as a Brave. “I had a great time at Ottawa during my football career and hopefully left my mark on the program,” he says. On the field, Schultz broke the career interception record with 20. This season he finished with an NAIA best – 12 interceptions - which he returned for 267 yards. He was a First Team All-conference selection, helping the Braves to an 8-3 record and an NAIA playoff berth this season with 53 tackles. Off the field, Schultz was just as diligent. He spent 15 to 20 hours a week watching game footage of his opponents, preparing for upcoming games. “What we will most miss about Logan is his leadership from the defensive secondary,” says Head Coach Kessinger. “His game preparation and study is something that requires a deep commitment that only a handful of players have. Interestingly enough, those that truly distinguish themselves as players are usually the ones that prepare like Logan has.” Kessinger said he has enjoyed coaching Schultz – as well as his brother and cousin. “I have enjoyed each one of the Schultzes as student-athletes in our program,” Kessinger says. “They were very well conditioned and intensely loyal to their teammates. You can tell by the way they carried themselves on a daily basis that they had been raised in a family that knew what it was to work and what it meant to be a team player.” Zach played from 2006-09 and was a three-year starter on the team. Corey played from 2008-09, earning All- American receiver rankings his senior year. All three of the Shultzes were a part of the 2009 football team, which won the only playoff game in school history, with a program-best 11-1 record. “They have been at the core of what has made our program successful in the past five years,” says Kessinger. All in all, there have been six Schultzes to play football at Ottawa University. Logan’s uncles Gene and Greg played for the Braves in the mid-70s, while his father Gerald played from 1977-1980. Greg earned the Dick Peters award in 1977 for his dedication to the team and sport and Gerald received the award in 1980. “It was pretty special to be able to play at the same school that so many of my family members have played at,” says Schultz. “It was interesting to talk to some of the alumni that my dad and uncles played with and listen to some of the stories they had.”